Fighting Your Instincts
by reachingformyshootingstar
Summary: Private Emma Swan is headed out to Afghanistan on her first tour as an army medic. But how will she cope when Captain Jones, on his fourth tour, is assigned to her section with his amazing looks and great personality, will she be able to control her feelings? Basically Captain Swan AU, based on Our Girl but with a different ending and a few difference, Oh and Emma is from London!
1. Chapter 1

"Private Swan?" Emma turned around to face who she presumed to be her new corporal.

"Yes, Sir." He turned his head and smiled at her.

"I'm Corporal Humbert, welcome to the army. You'll be with 5th Section under Captain Jones. Follow me." He began walking towards the doors to the runway and Emma followed. She had completed her medical training and was now ready to face the duties of an army medic in Afghanistan. He directed her to the area where her section were gathered. All men, as she had expected. She walked over and put her kit bag down. One man turned to face her as she approached.

"Hi, nice to meet you sweetheart. I'm Cassidy, Neal Cassidy." He had a sweet smile and like a lot of the lads was well built and around the same height as her.

"Hey I'm Swan well, Emma. Nice to meet you too." He introduced her to the rest of the section and they all had a laugh and a joke until the glass door flew open and Humbert walked out of the building.

"Attention!" He shouted. They all stood too and waited for their Captain to join them. Four men filed out all walking to different sections. Emma's breath caught in her throat as the final Captain left the airport. He was gorgeous. His jet black hair accented his features and his Crystal blue eyes shone in the sunlight.

"I'm Captain Jones. Welcome to the army, lads." He looked along the lines of men and his eyes fell on her. "And Lady as it would seem. You're our new medic I presume? What's your name Private?"

"Swan, Sir." She looked directly ahead avoiding his eyes or she knew she would melt.

"Well, Private Swan, we'll be relying on you in Afghan so I hope you're ready."

"Yes, Sir." He gave them the speech that he gave to all new recruits and sections, the gist of which was don't screw up and don't die which was pretty much all she was expecting. Then, they were told to grab their gear and double up to the plane. This was it, Emma Swan was going to Afghanistan. Only, she had to do it with an insanely hot Captain. It was going to be fun.

The heat blasted them as they ran from the plane into the walls of their base. Emma was at the back just ahead of Humbert who brought up the rear as he was most experienced aside from Captain Jones who was leading the section. She jogged through the gate and into a large open space surrounded by tents and small buildings. She walked to join the rest of her section who all stood in a group. Captain Jones went to the side where another man stood. They shook hands and spoke a while whilst their section removed their helmets and protective gear.

"Right lads! Humbert will show you where you'll be staying. Swan, I need you to head straight to the hospital where another medic will be waiting for you. She will show you where to go and everything you need to do. Now, go on get out of here." He smiled and walked back to the other man stood to the side.

"Follow me guys!" Humbert gestured to the section and began walking. Cassidy walked next to her as they trudged through the base.

"God, it's like walking through a volcano!" He breathed.

"You'll get used to it. It just takes a while." She said.

"How would you know?" He asked, looking at her curiously.

"I travelled around a lot. Spain, Greece, Egypt. They were all pretty much this hot." She said, memories of her travels flooding her mind making her smile.

"Wow, impressive Swan." They heard a shout to their right and looked to see a woman waving to Emma. "Looks like she's your girl."

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit." She walked towards the woman gesturing to her. "Hi. I'm Emma Swan."

"Mary-Margaret Blanchard. Follow me, I'll show you where you'll be stationed. They chatted on the way each of them asking about the other, mostly Emma was asking about Mary-Margaret's experiences in Afghanistan. She had seen a lot which would help Emma out a lot. They arrived at a small green tent. "Here you go, this is your medic station, and your section tent is just over there so they can get here easily. I'm just down the straight if you need me."

"Thanks." She walked to the tent and began unloading her gear. Once she had set up she walked to her sections tent. The guys were all laid out on their beds either reading or talking or throwing things at eachother. She got the last bed, between Cassidy and Jefferson. She dumped her bag at the end of her bed and lay down.

"You alright there, Swan?" Jefferson asked.

"Yeah, why?" She opened one eye and slowly turned her head to face him.

"You just look a bit glum. Is it because you're stuck in a tent with 10 strapping lads and you can't do anything with any of us?" With that, she practically jumped up and stood directly over him.

"Are we really going to do this?" She asked, he looked at her blankly, trying to figure out what he had said that had clearly gotten to her. "Because if you have a problem with the fact that I am a woman then say it now, I'm only giving you one chance."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I was joking Emma. I'm not like that. None of us are." Her eyes opened wide and she turned to see everyone staring at her. What was wrong with her? She just automatically assumed that she would have an issue with her being a woman but she didn't think she actually wouldn't get any grief about it. She slumped down on her bunk.

"Sorry." She whispered.

"Emma, you okay?" Neal asked from behind her. She stood and walked out of the tent to find somewhere she could be alone. Suddenly, she felt a hard body crash into her as she opened the hatch. Then felt a strong arm around her waist preventing her from falling. She looked up to see those gorgeous blue eyes staring at her.

"Easy does it there, Swan." He laughed.

"Sorry, Sir." She stood back and walked past him to get out of the tent.

"Swan!" She turned back to face him. "Get your kit, we're heading out to the checkpoint in the mountains!"


	2. Chapter 2

The heat was worse here than she thought. Walking out of the gates, her gun in her hands she walked through the sand. She was up front this time, Captain Jones just ahead of her and Jefferson behind her.

"Sorry about earlier Jeff." She said turning her head to the side.

"No worries, Swan. Shouldn't have said it in the first place."

"It's fine seriously, I just made some assumptions about being the only woman."

"Well, don't worry Swanny, you're one of the lads around here." They both laughed then turned their attention back to the terrain around them, Jones' speech kept playing back in her mind about staying alive and not screwing up. Hopefully, she can do both without too much bother.

"Eyes on our right!" The Captain's voice brought her back to reality, she looked over to see 3 men with motorbikes hovering and watching them. The Afghan Special Forces, who had joined their section at the gate, told the men to move along. They walked for another half an hour, then arrived at the checkpoint.

"Right lads, Swan get some water around, Jefferson and Cassidy on the right, Humbert and Hood on the left, the rest of you in the sandbags I want all angles covered." Jones shouted. Emma walked around handing out water bottles then took one to the Captain. "Cheers, Swan." He said as he took the top off and they both had a decent drink. She walked back to the sandbags and set her gun on top of the barrier. She caught a glimpse of the Captain and an ASF soldier conversing out of the corner of her eye. "Listen up guys! There is a minefield beyond the river, it begins in the riverbed so I suggest if you want to keep your legs you stay away from that area."

"Yes, Sir!" They all shouted. Fifteen minutes went by and Emma was beginning to hope they would be heading back soon when a gunshot rang through the air.

"Talk to me, someone!" Jones shouted as he joined them behind the sandbags.

"It's Cassidy!" Jefferson's voice came over the radio. "I can't see him."

"Has anyone got eyes on Cassidy?" The Captain shouted. Emma looked around through her eyepiece when she caught a glimpse of him in the grass beyond the river.

"200 metres East, sir!" She shouted through her radio. All the guns turned immediately to where she said he was.

"Got him!" Jones said. "What the bloody hell is he doing in the middle of the minefield?!" He shouted. Then, Neal's voice came over the radio.

"I'm hit! My leg it's gushing blood, I can't stop it!" Emma's heart rate seriously increased knowing it was now or never.

"Sir, I can get to him! I know how to get through!" She said over the radio.

"No way, Swan! You are not going anywhere near him, we wait for a med evac!"

"Sir, if we don't get that bleed under control soon he will die! I don't want special treatment just because I'm a woman! Let me go, Sir!" She shouted. He looked over his shoulder to her. Then he jumped up and pressed the comms button on the radio.

"Jefferson, Humbert, with us!" He lead them down the path towards the river then they each jumped down either side of the small bridge, the Captain crouching as close to the bank as he could get whilst still having cover if anything went wrong. They set their guns and nodded to Emma. She shucked off her backpack and shouted to Neal.

"Neal! Where exactly are you hit?" She crouched down onto the ground and slowly crawled on her belly, digging her knife into the sand ahead of her to check for mines.

"In my calf, I can't stop the bleed." He sounded weak and his breathing was heavy, she would have to hurry if she was going to get to him in time. She kept crawling and talking to Neal ensuring he stayed conscious.

"I'm almost there just hold on!" She shouted. He didn't respond. "Neal?!"

"Swan, how's he doing?"

"He's gone quiet, can anyone see him?" She asked as she dug her knife in again.

"He ain't movin' sir!" Hood shouted over the radio.

"I'm almost there, Sir!" She crawled and dug her knife in again when her foot caught on something. She froze. Her eyes were wide, she didn't even breathe. Then there was a deafening noise and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

"SWAN?! SWAN?!" She could hear muffled shouting. She opened her eyes slowly, and began to sit up, she looked down, amazed and relieved to see she still had her legs.

"I'm okay. I'm alright." She said and heard sighs of relief from all the guys. She looked around and saw Neal propped up on a rock, his eyes were closed and his leg was covered in blood. She crawled to him and tapped his shoulder to wake him up. "Oi! Come on you tosser, you are not going to die on me!" He blinked his eyes when she felt her hand on his wound. He hissed in pain.

"Awww, you've taken a shine to me Swanny." He breathed.

"Yeah right, if you die it's gonna be my fault so you are not going to die." She packed his leg and wrapped a bandage around it only the blood went straight through. She kept her hand over the wound as she heard a helicopter coming over head.

"Sir, they can't land here, we'll be turned to dust!" She shouted.

"They're sending down a winch, get Cassidy on it but you wait for us to get you, if you go up on that thing you will be a target in seconds."

"Sir, if I take my hand off this wound, he is going to bleed out, I can't let go." She said as the winch was lowered far enough for her to reach it.

"Swan, do not get on that winch do you hear me? SWAN?!" He shouted but it was no use. She strapped herself in and yanked the rope for them to take them up, she heard them all shouting her name including the Captain but she didn't care, she couldn't let him bleed out. They got safely in the copter and she pushed Cassidy in with help of the other medic on the flight. As they flew past the checkpoint she saw her escort heading back to the top of the hill and all the lads were cheering her and wolf-whistling.

"What she just did was stupid beyond belief!" Jones shouted over the radio. He took his hand off the comms button and turned to Humbert. "It was also bloody awesome." He said in admiration.

They headed back to camp. When they arrived, Jones went straight to the med tent to see if Emma was back, it was empty. He took off his gear and dumped it in his tent. Then went and stood at the gate waiting for her to get back.

Neal lay in the hospital bed, wires surrounding him, and an oxygen tube across his face. She walked to the end of his bed and picked up his notes taking a cursory glance.

"Just can't leave me alone can you?" He croaked. His eyes were slightly open and he had small smile on his lips.

"Aww you softie, I'm only here for the decent coffee." She giggled and he smiled at her. He held his hand out to her, she took it and he covered hers with his other hand.

"If there is anything you ever need Em, you just shout. I'll come running." She smiled again. "I mean it Em, you saved my life and risked yours to get to me, I owe you everything."

"Ah well, you can start by getting better and coming back to camp so I can batter you for being so thick and going out in that minefield. What the hell were you thinking Cassidy?" He sighed.

"I saw someone moving and went to see what it was. I went over the bridge and the next thing I knew there was a bloke at the end of the path with a gun pointed at my head." He whispered.

"Good thing he's a shit shot then really." She said and laughed. "I gotta head back. I'll see you soon."

He let her go and closed his eyes, searching for a little more sleep. She collected her gear from reception and got the chopper back to the camp. She jogged with some of the other lads from the camp to the gates. They opened and her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw him stood straight ahead of her, his arms folded across his chest and looking more than a little bit pissed.


	4. Chapter 4

She approached him as slowly as she could, removing her helmet as she went. She stood in front of him and looked at her feet.

"If you think for one second that you are going to receive any praise for that ridiculous stunt, you are sorely mistaken, Swan."

"Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir." She looked up at him for the first time and realised he had a slight smile on his face.

"That's what my Commanding Officer said to me when I went to get Humbert on our last tour, he was shot in the leg. Having said that, did you hear me tell you not to go up in that winch?"

"No, Sir." She said simply.

"Right, well I suggest you go and get some rest, Swan, you've had a long day." He said. She turned and walked back into the tent. The sound of the section coming alive and chanting 'She's one of the lads!' erupted from the tent.

"Thanks you bunch of tossers!" He heard her shout. He laughed and with that he walked back to his tent.

2 weeks later.

It had been quiet around camp without Cassidy but she was really beginning to enjoy the time in Afghan. She and the Captain hadn't really spoken since she got back from the hospital. She stayed out of his way as much as possible just in case. The gates opened as they approached from their patrol of the village. A truck was hovering just inside the gate and as it drove off, she caught sight of Neal with a massive smile on his face.

"Well, well, well look whose back!" Jones shouted from the front of the group. The lads all ran over and squashed him in the middle a huddle, welcoming him back. He laughed and joked with them and then turned to Emma when he was finally released.

"Alright gorgeous?" He winked at her as he spoke.

"Watch it mate, or you'll end up with another bullet in you." She joked and gave him a hug.

He walked to the Captain who shook his hand. "Glad to have you back, Cassidy." He said.

"Good to be back, Sir. I won't let you down again." Neal said.

"You're damn right you won't. Because of your stunt, Swan nearly got blown to pieces, she's lucky to still have her legs. You put her and the rest of your section at risk." He said a little more harshly than expected. Neal looked to Emma in shock, she didn't tell him about the mine, she knew he would feel guilty and he didn't need that on his conscience. "Swan! With me." He said. Emma followed him at a brisk pace, he led them into the medical tent.

"Yes, Sir?" She asked as he sat on the bed.

"I need you to take a look at my blisters." He said as he took off his boots and socks.

"Yes, Sir." She picked up some water, a cloth and some antiseptic cream, then dragged the stool over to sit in front of him. He put his foot up on the bed and she cleaned the wounds. "So, will I live?" He joked, she laughed and pressed a little harder with the cloth to agitate him. He hissed and flicked his ankle so the water jumped into her face. She spat and wiped her face.

"Urgh, really Sir? All due respect I do not want your dirty foot water on my face." He laughed and she giggled.

She finished cleaning them, then wrapped a bandage around his foot to prevent infection. "There we are then, fit as a fiddle again." She stood and moved the bowl of water onto the side. She turned her head just in time to catch him staring at her ass.

"Thank-you Swan." He said casually as he stood and walked out of the tent.

She realised she had been holding her breath and exhaled loudly as soon as he was out of hearing range. There was definitely something between them, she just didn't know what yet.


	5. Chapter 5

"Mail, lads!" They heard the Captain's voice and ran out of the tent to where he stood. "Let's see what we have here. Hood!" He called Rob's name who approached, taking a letter from the Captain's hands. He ripped it open and began reading whilst the Captain called out the names of the other mail recipients. "Cassidy!" He called Neal's name after a while and gave him a large box. Neal opened it to find it full of food including what she had found out to be his favourite crisps and sweets. "And last but not least, Miss Swan." He said, passing her a package about the same size as Neal's. She sat down with the others and opened it. Right on top lay a picture of her entire family holding a piece of paper which read 'Wish you were here!' from her

"Who's that?" Asked Neal, sat next to her eating his crisps.

"My family. Mum, Dad, 3 sisters and 2 brothers." Most of the section turned at this point and went quiet, including the Captain who was walking around the group, talking to different people about what they had received.

"That's a big family you've got there, Swan!" Asked Jefferson.

"Yeah, they're a bunch of nutters but they were all great when I said I wanted to come out here." She said with a small smile on her face.

"That's really cool." Neal said.

They all sat and went through the rest of their mail. Hers included a bag of Haribo, a copy of her favourite book, some crisps, and a massive bag of toffee bon-bons. Then, she noticed a small black box buried underneath the rest. She opened it to find a silver locket with a swan on the front. Clicking the lock and it opened to reveal a picture of her and her best mate, August. A small note was stuffed in the top of the box which read 'So that I'm with you no matter what. A x' Her heart fluttered and a tear came to her eye, she wiped it away swiftly, untying the chain from the box and putting it around her neck, under her sweatshirt.

"That's nice, Swan." The Captain's voice came from behind her and she turned to face him as he crouched down to her level.

"Yeah, my mate sent it to me. He's a bit of a softy."

"He?" Jones asked. If she didn't know any better, she would say there was a tinge of jealousy in his voice.

"Yeah, he lives with me. We've known eachother since we were kids. He was the one who pushed me to do this. Well, him and his fiancée." She laughed.

"He sounds like a great dude." He said, his face lit up at the word fiancée. Yep. He was definitely jealous, well he was.

"Did you just say dude?" She asked, laughing.

"Oh give off Swan." He laughed, shoving her shoulder playfully and standing to make his way around the rest of the group.

"Come on you lazy sods!" Shouted Humbert as they crossed in front of the truck at the end of their run. He and Captain Jones leant up against the door whilst the section ran past all sweating from the sprint around the entire camp. Emma bent over, resting her hands on her knees and catching her breath.

"Good work lads, hit the showers." Said Jones. They all started towards the showers when he called out again. "Swan?" She turned to face him. "A word." He walked towards his tent and she followed.

"Sir?" She asked when they got inside.

"Has that girl of yours said anything about her father?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Leila?" She asked.

"Yes, Swan."

"No, nothing that I recall Sir. She trusts me, I'm sure if I spoke to her she would tell me." She suggested.

"Alright, Swan. Next patrol you need to find her immediately without drawing attention to you or her and find out what you can."

"Yes, Sir."

"Right, off you go then Swan." He said. She nodded and left, heading for her tent. She grabbed her towel on the way to the showers before rinsing off and changing into her vest top and shorts.

"5th Section, fall in!" She heard from outside. She moved the flap to the medic's tent and walked out. The lads quickly ran over, all double taking when they saw Emma.

"Right! Our dear Captain has some news lads!" Shouted Humbert.

"Tomorrow night, it is our turn to supply the entertainment for the camp. Now, I am going to be singing and I need someone to sing with me." The guys all looked panicked and shuffled where they stood. "Oh, and one minor detail, it needs to be a woman." Emma jolted her head as the guys all started wolf-whistling and cheering. "Miss Swan, here are the lyrics. I expect you to know them by tomorrow night or you will look bloody stupid on stage in front of everyone." She sang when she was younger and in the shower, to be honest she didn't think she was too bad, but still this was performing in front of everyone… with her Captain.

"Oh god." She groaned, snatching the lyrics from him. She unfolded the page and laughed when she saw what they would be singing. "Really?" She asked, looking at him.

"Oh yes, Swanny, really." He raised his eyebrows suggestively and she felt her knees buckle a little. "I think we should let dear Miss Swan learn her lines, don't you lads." He said, winking at her as he began walking away.

"Off you go then Swan. Get singing." Neal joked next to her. She elbowed him in the stomach and walked back to her tent.

Great. This was going to go swimmingly. Not.


	6. Chapter 6

She lay in her bed, going over the lyrics in her head as the rest of the section dossed about. Her mind began to drift, she thought of the young girl she had grown close to in the village, Leila. She was even younger than Henry and yet she was promised to a man. Her father was definitely bad news but she felt that there was more to it than just that. She had a hunch that he was Taliban, she just hoped she was wrong for Leila's sake.

"Em?" Neal sat on the edge of her bed. "You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm just…" She started but he interrupted her.

"Thinking about that girl?" He could always see right through her. She nodded.

"It'll be fine, Em." She smiled.

"Thanks."

She turned over when Humbert stuck his head in to shout "Lights out, lads!" and closed her eyes, attempting to get a good night's rest before tomorrow.

"Swan? Swan?" He whispered. She moved her head and opened her eyes, focussing in on Jones stood over her. "Ops tent, now." He said again.

"Have I overslept?" She asked, jolting up, tucking her hair behind her ear and slipping on her boots. She stood and looked around, confused to find the rest of the section still asleep.

She moved the tent flap out of the way and crossed to the ops tent. Her football shirt and shorts were more than comfortable and she hated the fact that he had gotten her up at such a ridiculous hour.

When she moved into the small ops room, Jones already stood waiting for her along with Humbert and one of the more senior officers on the base.

"Sorry to wake you at such an hour Swan but we've received some new intel involving Leila."

"Is she alright?" Emma asked, now fully awake.

"She's fine for now, but we've had some new intel that her father went to a bunker in the town which is known to the ASF as a Taliban base." He said.

"I knew it!" She said, suddenly growing more concerned for Leila's wellbeing.

"We're going to raid the house tomorrow. Get Leila out and to a safe house. Then we can deal with Kazim. Since you're the only one who has actually eye-balled Kazim, you'll be vital to this op."

"Yes, Sir."

"Dismissed, Private. Sleep well."

"Thank-you Sir." She said, one last glance at Jones before walking out and heading back to her bunk.

"Right 5th Section. We go in as normal. Then, we split into two teams to raid the house. One lead by me and one lead by Humbert. We'll find Leila get her out and then it's up to Swan to ID Kazim. Got it?" Jones asked.

"Yes, Sir!" They shouted.

"Okay, let's get this done. Remember, Stay focussed, stay alert, Stay alive."

They climbed into the truck and made the usual short journey to the village. They filed out as normal and then on Jones' command, split into the teams to surround the house.

"Remember lads, no firing until we've got the girl out." Jones said into the radio. She was crouched behind him. "Okay, go, go, go!" He shouted. The front door was broken down and they ran in. She could feel the adrenaline rush going straight to her head as she looked around frantically for the girl.

"Sir, there's no-one here." Neal said into his radio.

"I've got eyes on the girl! Sir, something's not right, the locals are anxious." Graham's voice came over the radio. She looked to him, desperation in her eyes.

"Go!" He said to her. She ran back through the front door into the street.

"Where? Where?" She shouted. Graham pointed toward the vast open space that spread between the houses and the marketplace. Locals moved around the street, away from a narrow alleyway. She emerged seconds later, she wore a long scarf that covered her head and her chest, with a pink dress underneath. She stood staring at her as the rest of her section emerged from the house. They all shouted at her to raise her arms. She did so, Emma's heart stopping as she saw the bomb strapped to her small figure.

"Leila, don't move!" They all shouted, falling to the ground to protect themselves as best they could.

"Humbert, I want all cell signals blocked!" Jones shouted. She stood frozen to the spot. "Swan! Get down now!" He shouted at her. She ignored him and dropped her gun and rucksack, unclipping her helmet. "Swan! What the bloody hell are you doing?" He shouted again. She began to move towards Leila. By this time, everyone was shouting at her.

"Please guys? Just let me do this, you'll scare her." She said, tears falling down her face as she moved to stand in front of Leila. "Hello you." She whispered. "You just need to stand really still for me alright?" She asked.

"Am I going to die?" Leila asked.

"No! No, you're not gonna die." She could hear Jones behind her, asking where the bomb squad were. "We're gonna play Sang Chill Bazi and I'm going to beat you. We're soul sisters." She said.

"Sisters?" Leila asked.

"Yeah." She heard the ASF Captain tell Jones that the Taliban were trying to detonate the bomb and that he could hear them over the radio. Then, the bomb truck approached and the bomb technician moved slowly towards them, his bomb suit protecting him.

"Swan, move back now!" Jones shouted. She stepped back and let the man move between her and Leila.

"Just stay still, Leila, stay still." She said. The tech moved the vest slowly down Leila's arms and gently placed it on the ground, she stepped out of it. Emma smiled. Suddenly, an ASF soldier ran forward grabbing Leila and moving her to a pick-up truck on the other side of the truck where two other men stood waiting.

"SWAN! Get back now!" They all shouted at her and she ran back to her section, she hit the ground just as the bomb exploded behind her. Dust covering their bodies on the ground. Once it had settled, she stood and looked to the truck where Leila sat in the back, they drove off into the distance, and the section watched until it was over the horizon. She smiled, and let out a sigh of relief. Leila was okay.

She gently squeezed the small bottle until the liquid dropped into Jones' eye.

"You're lucky, Sir. Millimetre to the left and you'd have been blind." She said, wiping his eye with the small cotton ball she held in her hand.

"We were all lucky, Swan." He said, looking at her as she sat on the bench in front of him. The dust still covered half his face and she had a series of cuts on her face too.

"Do you think she's alright, Sir?" She asked.

"I don't know, I don't care." He said bluntly.

"No offence, Sir, but that's a bit heartless." She said, simply.

"It's not heartless, Swan, it's just I don't get emotionally invested."

"Yeah, I got that." She said a little harshly. His head jolted up and he looked her right in the eye.

"Sir! You ready?" Humbert shouted from outside. She stood and threw away the cotton as well as the disposable gloves she wore.

"Cheers, Swan." He said simply.

"Course." She said, facing the wall.

He moved out of the room and climbed into the armoured truck, Emma followed closely behind with her kit bag, slung over her shoulder. It had been a hell of a day and now all she wanted to do was get a shower and sleep it off.

"Ready for the concert tonight Swanny?" Neal shouted over the hum of the truck. She groaned loudly and slammed her head against the side of the truck.

This was so not going to end well.


	7. Chapter 7

"Gentleman, please welcome to the stage Miss Emma Swan!" Jones shouted through the mic. They stood on the small stage with their section and the rest of the camp in front of them. Wolf-whistles and cheers went up for Emma, she laughed and placed her hands on her hips. Her blonde curls were loose, flowing over her shoulders and she wore a plain black vest top and her uniform trousers. "And on the keys please welcome Mr Rob Hood!" Rob waved and smiled before he started playing the opening notes to a very familiar tune. Emma stood laughing as Jones swung the mic by its wire. He caught the mic in his other hand and started to sing.

"Don't go breaking my heart!" He sang, a series of cheers and wolf-whistles echoing as he put the mic in front of her mouth.

"I couldn't if I tried." She sang, rolling her eyes as the audience cheered again.

"Oh honey, if I get restless…" He was milking this so much.

"Baby, you're not that kind." She couldn't help laughing as he danced to the music.

"Don't go breaking my heart."

"You take the weight off of me." She couldn't help the small blush on her cheeks.

"Honey when you knock on my door…" He winked at her sinfully.

"I gave you my key." She sang.

"You're turn boys!" He shouted, the rest of the section stood and sang

"Ooh, Ooh, Nobody knows it, Oh oh oh!" They all sang. She laughed and smiled, clapping and dancing along to the music. She looked up at Jones who was smiling directly at her and singing. She looked away again, catching sight of Neal in the audience who sang to her, doing over the top dance moves to her. She laughed and smiled again.

Okay, maybe it wasn't so bad.

The hot sand tingled under her fingers as she crawled on her hands towards the next obstacle. Her legs were up in the air, held by Graham who was her teammate in the race. The spectators were shouting and cheering for their sections to win.

"Come on Swan! You're about to go on holiday, the least you can do is show some human decency!" Jones shouted at her.

"Human decency? This is war innit!" She shouted back.

"It's good fun, now come on!" He yelled. She stood once they reached the poles and stuck her forehead to the end, moving to spin around and around. Graham was shouting right in her ear. She finished and picked up the egg and spoon, jumping through the tyres and making her way to the hula hoop, pretty much behind everyone else. When she reached the hoops, the lads were struggling to keep their hoops spinning around their hips. She picked up hers and placed it around her neck. She moved her head to get the hoop going and finished her 10 spins within seconds. She flung the hoop away and climbed under the camo net to crawl through to the end. She could see Graham's feet at the other end. Then, her foot got caught in the net and she couldn't free it. Convinced she was going to lose, she almost gave up when someone started moving her foot. She looked up to see Neal trying to free her foot.

"Alright there, Swan? You looking forward to an 11 hour flight with this strapping man?" He asked smugly. He freed her foot and she continued crawling.

"Strapping isn't exactly the word I would use mate!" She shouted back. Graham pulled her up from under the net and flung her over his shoulder to carry her over the finish line. They broke the ribbon at the end and their section came running over. They cheered and smiled and laughed as Emma was hoisted up into the air on the shoulders of Rob and Jefferson.

"Thank-you very much, Swan!" They all shouted.

She walked across the camp, eating her bowl of Coco Pops as she went. Looking around she noticed one of the ASF soldiers watching her. He had always given her the shakes, ever since they got to Afghan. He looked at her with something in his eye like she was the enemy or something. He said something to one of his fellow soldiers in Pashto that she didn't understand. He laughed and they walked away.

"What is your problem face-ache?" She said, more to herself than him. She walked over to one of the logs and sat down to finish her breakfast. Suddenly, a spoon moved over shoulder and into her bowl, picking up a spoonful and taking it back. "Oi!" She shouted, just as Jones sat down next to her laughing with his mouthful. "Oh, sorry Boss, I thought you were Sahau." She said.

"And you wouldn't share your breakfast with Sahau?" He asked.

"No way, he's not sticking his spoon in my Coco Pops." She said, Jones burst out laughing.

"Really hope that's not a euphemism, Swan." Her face fell and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"God, no." She said, laughing. He took another spoonful of her cereal.

"I haven't had Coco Pops in bloody ages." He said, catching a few strays and shoving them back in his mouth. She watched him with a smile on her face and he turned, catching her staring.

"Captain Jones?" One of the ASF soldiers called to him from the front of the OPS tent. He stood and walked to the front of the tent. "We have not had comms from the mountain CP today." The ASF soldier said to him.

"Humbert! Have they ever not checked in before?" He asked as a very naked Graham made his way over from the shower block with only a towel around his waist. The man shook his head. "We need to get up there." He said to Graham.

"Yes, Sir. 5th section fall in!" Graham shouted. The rest of the section, also very naked, ran over from the showers, towels slung loosely around their waists.

"Kit up and meet at the gate, 5 minutes, let's go!" Graham yelled, she stood from the log and ran with the rest of the section back to the tent.

"Looks like your R&R might be up the shitter, Swanny." Rob said as they ran.

Her whole body felt heavy as they ascended the path to the checkpoint. The ASF went ahead to check it out as 5th section stood against the rocks, as covered as they could be out in the open. Suddenly, shouting echoed through the ravine and the ASF soldiers ran back towards them. Waving and shouting "Medic! Medic!"

"Swan!" Jones shouted from upfront as Emma moved up to stand between him and Graham with the rest of the section trailing behind. They started to move towards the bunker of the checkpoint. Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw an array of bodies splattered across the ground.

"Examine and confirm death." Said the ASF captain. She saw something glisten in the sunlight, moving towards the bodies she saw the blood splattered, fake Rolex hanging from the wrist of a young man who Emma had met a few times. A tear came to her eye as she remembered how young he was, he may have said he was 18 but he can't have been more than 16.

"He was just a kid." She whispered.

"Examine and confirm death." He repeated, a little more remorseful than the last one. She moved slowly towards the body, the smell was horrific and the flies buzzing around the body were ridiculously annoying. She placed her fingers over his pulse point. Nothing. She turned to the rest of the team and shook her head. Jones' eyes closed and he bowed his head for a minute.

"Bag up the bodies." He said simply. She moved away and walked a few paces, looking out over the landscape to attempt to get the images out of her head. "Swan?" His voice was closer. She turned her head to see him standing next to her, looking at her. "You good?" He asked.

"Yes, Boss." She replied.

"Good, now come on, we're heading back so you can get home."

"What?" She asked.

"Your R&R, you can go." He said.

"Oh. Good." She said. They began walking back to the camp with the images still playing on her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

He approached her tent, pushing the flap aside and stepping inside. He froze when he saw her. She had his back to him, wearing only a cropped sports top and shorts, towel drying her hair. He cleared his throat and she turned to face him.

"Sorry, Sir, I didn't hear you come in." She said, folding the towel up.

"Not to worry, Swan. You looking forward to going home?" He asked.

"Yeah, I need a decent shower to get all this sand out of my hair." She said, they both laughed.

"Now, Swan… I have a favour to ask." He said, leaning against the cabinet on the opposite side of the room to her bed where she sat.

"Sir?" She asked.

"I have had my Nespresso machine sent over at a great cost."

"Is that a decent use of army funds sir?" She asked jokingly.

"Absolutely, since I can't be a fully functioning Soldier unless I've had my first shot of coffee in the morning." He said. "Which leads me to the favour…" He began, taking a pen out of his pocket and moving to crouch in front of her. "Nespresso shop on Regent Street, go and get me some Rosabaya coffee capsules and I will adore you for always." He said, as he wrote the coffee name delicately on her arm, holding her hand to keep her still.

"Always, Sir?" She asked. He looked up at her quickly before tilting his head down to look at her hand. He ran his thumb over her knuckles and back again, repeating the motion as he took in a small breath.

"Come back to me." He whispered, looking into her eyes. Her lips moved into a small smile and her eyes remained on his.

"I will." She said. The sound of a helicopter broke them apart as he stepped back and smiled one last time before leaving the tent.

She kitted up and grabbed her bag and gun. She left her tent and moved towards the gate where her section waited. They shoved post-it notes and shouted things at her that they wanted her and Neal to bring back.

"We are going on our bloody holidays, so would you lot kindly…" He stuck two fingers on each hand up and they all shouted "oooohhhh" as they made their way out of the gate. Jones waited for them.

"Good luck you two." He said simply. She could tell something was wrong.

"What is it Sir?" She asked.

"Sahau's gone AWOL." He said, sighing.

"I knew it!" Neal shouted. "He's Taliban!"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that Cassidy." Jones said.

"Sorry Sir, you've got to admit that it's suspicious though."

"Look, we'll handle it, go. Good luck."

They both smiled and thanked him. Neal ran out first, Emma followed behind for a few paces before stopping.

"Swan?" Jones shouted from behind her.

"I can't go!" She turned and spoke to him. "If Sahau is Taliban then something might happen."

"And we'll handle it."

"But you're gonna need a medic!" She shouted over the chopper.

"We've already got one." He said, walking over to her with his hands on his hips.

"But she's not me." She said, honestly.

"Swan! Go! That's an order. I need that bloody coffee." He said the last part a little more gently. She looked at him one last time before turning and running to the copter. She climbed in then looked back at Jones stood in the gate, he was watching her too. They took off and he watched as she flew away.

She walked in the door to her home as her Mum came running down the hall.

"Ems!" She shouted as the rest of her family came out to greet her. She had left Neal at the airport, promising to call him when she got home. Her family had invited everyone round to welcome her home and she was overwhelmed. She didn't get a minute to herself until everyone had either left or gone to bed. She put the door on the latch and went outside to get some air. The city was beautiful at night and she could always rely on their stunning view to cheer her up. The lights of the skyscrapers made a golden gleam around the night sky and she always smiled when she saw it. She pulled her phone out of her coat pocket and sent a text to Neal.

_Sorry, welcoming party was a bit bigger than expected. See ya in a couple of weeks, enjoy it. E x_

She didn't have to wait long for a reply.

_No worries. Dad invited all the family round so it's been pretty hectic down here in Newport too. Back at you Em. N x_

She laughed and tucked the phone back into her pocket. She went back inside and locked the door before heading up to the bathroom to shower before heading to bed for a much needed sleep. All she could think about was Rolex boy and the others at the CP. That night, she dreamt of her section, Leila, Sahau and of course Captain Jones.

The next day, she woke up early to a text from Neal.

_Can't get my head out of Afghan. N x_

She decided to call him.

"Missing me already Swanny?"

"You wish mate. How are you doing?" She asked.

"Well, I can't stop thinking about the lads." He replied.

"Me neither, it's like no-one understands here. Like we're the only ones who know what's really out there." She said.

"I know. Listen, why don't you come here?" He asked.

"What? To Newport? No thanks, mate." She said, laughing.

"Em, please?" He said more seriously. She stopped laughing. "I need you."

"Okay." She said, hanging up the phone and booking the next train down. She texted him with the arrival time, said goodbye to her family and left.

She had been in Newport a week. They had gone to pubs and seen some of Neal's favourite sites, talked about Afghan and normal stuff occasionally.

They had agreed on staying in Newport for a week then heading back to London so that Emma could still see her family for a bit longer. He would sleep on the sofa at her house as she had at his. They greeted her family with warm smiles and hugs before Emma decided to show Neal the best that London had to offer. She took him to Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, the Natural History Museum and she took him shopping in Camden Town. They had only two days left of their R&R and so Emma decided to spend it in the best place she could.

"Swan, where are we going?" He asked for about the fiftieth time that day.

"You'll see." She said. They rode the underground until they reached Oxford Circus and from there they changed lines to London Bridge. She took him to the Shard. They took the elevator to the top and she took him to see one of the best sites in London.

"Wow." He said as they leaned against the barrier on the window.

"See? I told you it would be worth it, didn't I?" She said.

"Okay Swan, you win this one." He admitted holding his hands in the air in surrender.

They remained at the Shard for a while before she told him to head home, that she had one last stop to make. She took the tube to Regent Street and walked to the Nespresso shop on the corner. She pulled the door open and gasped when she saw the amount of different brands and types of coffee that surrounded her.

"Can I help you, Madam?" A very pristine shop assistant approached her.

"This whole shop is just for coffee?" She asked, she knew it sounded stupid but she couldn't get over it.

"Yes, Madam." She said, a small laugh escaping her lips.

"Right, here you go." She said, holding out her arm and pulling up her sleeve to show her the writng on her arm which she had somehow managed to keep visible for two weeks.

_Good thing he used a Sharpie._ She thought.

"Rosabaya, certainly Madam." The woman said before making her way to the counter.

She packed the last bits into her rucksack before grabbing her kit and heading out. She wore her beret and full uniform, ready to head straight back to Afghan when they reached Brize Norton.

"Look after her, Neal." Her Mum said.

"Course I will." He said. She said goodbye to everyone then moved to her Mum. She was already welling up.

"Oh Mum." Emma said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Just come home, Ems, Okay?" She said.

"I will." She said, a tear falling down her cheek. She sniffed and moved away, picking up her bag and walking up to the taxi waiting at the end of the drive. She climbed in after Neal and the driver pulled away. She waved at her family and then turned back to face the front of the car.

"Afghan, here we come, eh?" Neal said.

"Yeah." She said simply.


	9. Chapter 9

The chopper landed outside the gate and she couldn't help the smile that came over her face when she and Neal jumped out and ran towards the base. Neal stepped to the side as the gates opened bending down in a mock bow to let her in first. She smiled and walked a few steps before they were both jumped on by their section. They hugged all of their section and put their rucksacks on the ground so that their section could get what they wanted from home. She took off her helmet and smiled when she saw Jones approaching. He smiled back and her heart fluttered.

"Alright Swan?" He asked.

"Sir." She said simply.

"Don't bother unpacking you two. We're heading back to Bastion tomorrow."

"So we're done here?" She asked.

"Yeah, we are." He said, smiling. Once the chaos had died down, she went to her tent and greeted Mary-Margaret who had been covering for her.

"Hey!" She said, moving towards the petite woman at the other end of the room.

"Hey!" They hugged and talked about her leave. Emma picked up the medical charts and flicked through the injuries that she had missed.

"How the hell did Rob slice his elbow open?" She asked, laughing.

"He fell on his backside when he slipped on the bottom of the paddling pool and caught his elbow on a rock." She explained.

"Ha, bet the Boss wasn't too happy." Emma laughed.

"Mainly because that pool was supposed to be for me and me alone." Jones explained as he entered the tent.

"I'm gonna go." Mary-Margaret said before heading out of the tent.

"Thanks M!" She shouted after her.

"So, did you miss us, Swan?" He asked.

"Of course." She said sarcastically. "At least your boots are wearing in."

"What?" He asked.

"Well, you haven't had your blisters checked." She continued.

"Maybe I'll get you to give them a once over later on." He said.

"Oi, Em? Was Newport as big of a dump as we thought?" Jeff shouted from outside the tent. She giggled.

"You went to Newport?" He asked, looking at the ground.

"Yeah, we split the time. One week down there, one week in London." She explained.

"Oh, so you and Cassidy stayed together then?" He seemed upset.

"Yeah, at home it felt like no-one else understood what it's like out here." She said.

"Right, course. Pack up then, Swan. We're out of here at 09:00." He said coldly before making his way out of the tent.

"Swan and Cassidy sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" The lads approached from outside as she stormed out.

"Jesus, it's like being back at school!" She shouted.

She searched the camp for Neal before finding him at the catering tent.

"What the hell have you said to the others?" She asked, standing infront of him with her arms folded across her chest.

"Nothing. You know what they're like. They make a big deal out of nothing." He explained, calmly.

"But you haven't said anything happened that didn't actually happen right?" She asked.

"I haven't said anything!" He said a little more aggressively. "Does it matter what they think anyway?"

"No. Course it doesn't." She said coldly, leaning up against the table.

"Here, drink some water." He said.

"Why?" She asked.

"I dunno, I just thought…"

"Neal, I am quite capable of knowing when I need to drink! Thank-you!" She shouted angrily before heading in the opposite direction.

"Em! I'm not stupid, I know you don't want to go out with anyone in the platoon…" He began.

"No Neal! I don't want to go out with you! You're my mate." She said more upset than angry. "Why can't you just be my mate?" She started walking away again.

"Because I love you!" He shouted. She froze. Turning to look at him.

_Oh shit._ Was her only thought before she carried on walking away.

She caught up to Jones in the middle of the truck base. They were being loaded for the deployment back to Bastion and the whole place was in chaos.

"Nothing happened with Neal and me." She said, trying to get his attention, but he just kept walking.

"What are you telling me for?" He asked bitterly.

"I'm just saying."

"Well don't." He still refused to look at her.

"So if we're heading back then this is the end yeah?" She shouted as he kept walking. He turned to face her, a hurt expression on his face. She looked him in the eye as he stepped back and turned on his heel.


	10. Chapter 10

The morning sun struck her face with intense heat the next morning. She had packed her bags and they were heading out of the tent towards the trucks. She walked behind the rest of their section as the first members of her team climbed into the armoured truck. She approached the steps just as Jones walked around the side of the truck, carrying his gun and bags as they all did. He simply looked at her and nodded towards the inside of the truck. She took that as her cue to move and she clambered up and sat on the end of the bench, on the opposite side to Jones. Neal stood on a raised platform at the centre of the small space with his head out of the roof and his hands on the gun that protects them all.

"The kids are going to school." Neal said from above. "Don't run over the little blighters or the whole thing will have been a bit of a waste of time." He joked.

"Our work here is done." Jones said quietly with a small smile on his face. The lads clapped and cheered as Emma looked out of the two small windows at the back of the truck. She saw a group of children running towards the school and furrowed her eyebrows as she realised that there were no girls.

"Sir, there's only boys." She said, looking to Jones.

"It's not our concern now, Swan. The ASF will handle it from here."

"Yes, Sir." She whispered, looking back at the ground. The truck drove on in silence until Neal started up a sing-along. The very out-of-tune group of men were singing 'The Wheels on the Bus' as if it was their last day on earth, which in their line of work was quite possible, and she welcomed the distraction from her own mind. Suddenly, the truck jolted forward and the section fell onto the shoulder of the person next to them.

"What the hell was that?" Jones called.

"Sir, there's a roadblock. White sheet pinned down by rocks. Looks like there could be a body under it." Neal spoke from above. Jones looked alarmed and they all mimicked his expression.

"I'm ready, Sir." Emma spoke before anyone could get a word in. He took a breath and grabbed his gun before opening the back doors.

"Right, Cassidy stay on that gun. Hood & Jeff covering me. The rest of you surround the truck, stay low. Swan with me." He ordered their section to their positions then took the metal detector from the back and gestured for Emma to follow him to the front of the truck. She looked up to his face and for the first time since the Leila incident she saw something in his eyes, fear. "You wait here until I call you." He said, looking to her and placing his hand around the hold of the metal detector.

"Yes, Boss." She whispered. Holding the base of the gun to her shoulder she stared straight ahead, following his every move through the scope on her gun. Jones moved further and further forward. Thankfully, not blowing up as he approached the body. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't take it anymore. She followed his footsteps until she reached him. The others all called her back to the truck but she refused and kept walking. He turned to look at her.

"Do you have a death wish Swan?" He asked, looking furious. She ensured her comms were turned off before answering.

"No Sir." She said honestly.

"Well then, what the hell are you doing out here?" He asked, turning around to continue the mission.

"I wanted to talk to you Sir." She saw him tense but that wouldn't stop her. "Nothing happened with Smurf. We're mates that's all. I especially wouldn't want you to think we were anything more." She said, somehow gathering the confidence that she really didn't think she had in her.

"What are you trying to say Swan?" He asked, continuing to walk so that the others didn't get suspicious. She took a deep breath before replying.

"I'm… I'm fond of you Sir." She finally admitted. His head jolted back to face her.

"This is neither the time nor place for this conversation." He replied bluntly, turning back to the sheet that now lay just ahead of them.

"Do you love me?" She blurted out. He turned to look at her again as they now stood just by the sheet. Suddenly, a hand grabbed at his boot and both their heads jolted down to look. Jones threw the detector on the ground and yanked the sheet away from the body. They both froze when they saw who lay in front of them.

"It's Sahau!" She screamed down her comms. She threw herself down next to him and began an initial examination. His face was covered in blood, his lips were cracked and he could barely speak. Jones ripped open the medical bag next to her and she began listing what she needed. She could hear Humbert calling the base from the sat phone ordering an urgent Medical evacuation.

"Please don't die on me." She kept repeating as she treated what wounds she could. She didn't know what his chances were but she knew they wouldn't be good.

They stood on opposite sides of Sahau as he lay motionless in the hospital bed. He was covered in bandages and stitches, he looked so weak. The nurse approached the bed carrying his notes in her hand.

"How is he?" Emma asked.

"He's still unresponsive. We're doing everything we can but it doesn't look good." The woman explained, a pitying look in her eye.

"Thank-you." Jones said to her. They stood for a moment in silence as the nurse retreated back to her station. She looked at his face as his fingers moved slightly and his eyes began to twitch open.

"Hey." She said, coming closer to the bed.

"Where am I?" He asked huskily.

"Bastion Medical Ward. Sahau, who did this to you?" Jones jumped straight to the point.

"Taliban. Went out of the camp, saw a man with a gun on the outskirts of the area. I walked out and they put a hood over my head. They knocked me out and took me to a bunker. They tortured me."

"What did they want with you?" Emma asked.

"Information. On Leila. Kazim wants his daughter back." He spoke weakly but Emma kept pushing.

"You didn't tell him where she was did you? They mustn't know where she is." She said.

"I didn't tell because I do not know. But, that is not the only reason they took me."

"Why else would they want you?" Jones asked.

"They tortured me because I wouldn't kill someone." He spluttered.

"Who? Who did they want you to kill?" Jones asked. His head rested back against the pillow and he took a deep breath as he moved his arm. He raised it up and left all but his index finger loose. He was pointing directly at Emma. The blood drained from her face and she looked up at Jones who had the same expression as her. Fear. Suddenly, the machines around Sahau blared with beeps and screeches.

"He's gone off." She said. "He's gone off!" She shouted this time back towards the Nurse's station. A crowd of nurses and Doctors filled the room and took Sahau out of the room towards the operating theatre. She stood frozen to the spot, Jones moved to stand next to her as they watched Sahau's motionless form taken away.

He turned to look at her as a single tear streamed down her cheek. He stepped forward, placing his hands on either side of her face. She let more tears fall as he rested his forehead on hers.

It was her fault. All of it was her fault.


	11. Chapter 11

She and Jones made their way from the hospital to find Major Gold. Gold was known to be one of the best in the force and anything they needed, he would sort it. Jones explained the situation and recalled what Sahau had said to the Major whilst she simply stood there, trying to hold back the tears. They were dismissed whilst the Major and others made a game plan of how to get Kazim before he hurt anyone else. Jones passed her a note as they made their way out of the tent.

_My tent. 10 mins._

_K. _

It was blunt but she got the message. She slowly made her way back to the Section's tent and over to her bed. She slumped down and took a breath as the others pounded her with questions on Sahau's condition.

"How is he?" "Was it bad?" "Did Kazim have something to do with it?"

She took a deep breath as Neal came to kneel in front of her. He gave her a small smile and wiped a tear from her cheek. She thought he would be pissed at her after their blowout but it seemed like no matter what, he would be there for her. She wiped her nose and then spoke.

"Sahau's dead. He was tortured for information on Leila and because he wouldn't…" She trailed off as they stared at her. "He wouldn't kill me." They all froze and it seemed like some of them weren't even breathing.

"Emma…" Neal began but he was interrupted by the flap moving aside and Humbert walking in.

"Section, we have some delivery that needs unloading. Get to it lads!" He shouted, nodding to Emma. "Swan, the Captain wants to see you." He said. _Shit!_ She thought as she realised it had been a good half an hour since they left the tent and he passed her the note. She jogged to his tent and pushed the flap aside. He had his back to her, removing his shirt. She couldn't help but gasp at the scars covering his back. He spun on his heel and gave a small smile of relief when he saw it was her.

"Sorry Sir." She said, quietly, still not looking away.

"It's alright Emma." He said, grabbing a new shirt and pulling it over his head. She couldn't help but stare at how his biceps and chest flexed as he moved. His abs were solid and she longed to touch him but she knew she couldn't. Not yet at least.

"Sometimes I don't know how I keep my hands off you." She froze when she realised that she had said it out loud. He laughed and moved towards her, taking her hands in his.

"Ditto."

"Ditto? I was expecting something a bit more romantic than ditto!" She said jokingly.

"How are you doing?" He asked. The only response she gave was a small smile. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, you're all I've thought about." He admitted. She laughed and removed her hands from his, putting them in her pockets. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Just in case." She said, gesturing to the entrance to the tent.

"Very wise, Swan." He said, becoming more casual again.

"Thank-you, by the way. For worrying about me I mean. It's good to know I'm not on my own out here."

"You're never alone Emma." He said sincerely. She looked him in the eye and he returned it. They just stood there, staring at eachother, pouring all of their feelings into that one look. A noise outside broke the moment and he cleared his throat. "You better get to the warehouse before they get worried." He spoke in his Captain voice again.

"Yes boss." She winked at him as she left.

"You alright there Swanny?" Neal asked, climbing the movable staircase opposite her. She jolted her head and smiled.

"Yeah, just day dreaming I guess."

"You know everything's gonna be fine don't you? With Kazim I mean." A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeah. Thanks Neal." She said, turning to face him.

"I thought you lot were supposed to be working!" The familiar Irish accent came from behind her as the rest of their section jumped to their feet with a chorus of "Sorry Sir!" They turned to look and he was watching them closely.

"Swan, ops tent, 5 minutes!" He shouted, turning on his heel and walking out again. It was unbelievable how he could flip a switch and go back to being the ridiculously intimidating Captain she first met. She gave Neal the inventory list she held in her hand and descended down the steps, heading out of the warehouse towards the ops tent. She entered cautiously and saw Killian, Graham and Gold talking quietly. Graham raised his body as she entered and acknowledged her, alerting the other two who turned to face her.

"Ah, Private Swan, please come in." Gold said, gesturing for her to approach the large table in the centre of the room. "Well Swan, we've received some intel as to Kazim's location." She froze. "He is believed to be on the move. Heading towards Kabul." He said the last word slowly, knowing Emma would freak.

"What? That's not possible. Does he know Leila's there?" She asked.

"We don't believe so. He is believed to be meeting an arms dealer and we intend to intercept the meet and take down Kazim."

She simply nodded along as they explained how the op would work, she looked up every once in a while to see Killian watching her. She felt safe around him but she would never feel totally safe until Kazim had been taken down.

"Swan?" Gold said, suddenly pulling her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Sir?" She replied.

"Are you on board?" He asked.

"Course, Sir. I'll do whatever I can to bring this bastard down." She said honestly.

"Captain Jones, you'll take Swan with the ASF today to where Kazim is believed to be hiding out for tonight."

"Yes, Sir." Killian replied.

"Good. Dismissed." Gold said with a reassuring smile as they made their way outside.

As the truck pulled up outside the compound, Emma could feel her heart racing. This was it. Her one chance to take Kazim down.

"Captain Aziz, take the lead." Killian said as he and Emma climbed down the steps. They leaned against the side of the truck with their guns in their hands as the ASF ran to the side of the building and broke down the door. They heard screaming and shooting, then silence. She held her breath, waiting for Aziz to call them in. Suddenly, he appeared.

"Clear!" He shouted, Killian turned to look at her and they moved towards the building. They walked into the house, following Aziz. The building was dusty, old and smelled musty. They moved through the living room and into the kitchen where three men were blindfolded and kneeling in front of the ASF. She looked at Aziz and nodded. He did the same to one of the men who then tapped one of the three detainees on the shoulders and removed the blindfolds.

"No." She said simply, looking at the man who was much younger than Kazim. The soldier replaced the blindfold and moved to the next man, repeating the action. She shook her head again. The soldier finally moved to the last man. He was far younger than the others, maybe only 15 or 16 years old. "No, it's not him." She sighed exasperatedly. Before she knew what was happening, the room filled with shouting and she was knocked to the ground, her lip bleeding. Killian was by her side in seconds, turning her face to look at him and examining her lip. "I'm fine." She spluttered, spitting the blood from her mouth. He held his hand out and pulled her up.

"Well, that went well." She said simply, as they climbed back into the truck.

They landed back at the camp and ran inside, headed straight for the storage container where the man who punched Emma awaited them. Aziz waited with Gold. He didn't look happy.

"Swan? You okay?" Gold asked, clearly noticing her bruised and cut lip.

"Yes, Sir. Thank-you Sir." She said.

"Good. We need you to talk to him." Gold said. "If you go in there he'll be surprised. He might disclose something he wouldn't to any of us."

"Sir…" Killian began but she interrupted.

"I'll do it." She said. Gold smiled at her.

"Fantastic, count to ten then follow us in." Gold said, making his way into the container with Aziz.

She stood frozen, the numbers going through her head. She could see Killian looking at her out of the corner of her eye but she refused to turn to him.

Eight… Nine… Ten.

She moved towards the container, Killian taking the door off of her as she stepped into the dark room. A simple metal table stood in the centre with a camera behind him and Gold in the corner with Aziz. Gold gave her a reassuring nod as she moved closer to the boy. He looked shocked at first but when she sat down opposite him, he looked down at the table as if he was ashamed. She didn't say anything, waiting to find out if he would say anything. He said something in Pashto and Aziz translated.

"He says it is your fault."

"What is?" She asked, as Aziz continued translating her words. The boy started to speak, in English now.

"Everything. You're the reason that my sister is gone. You're the reason my father is hunted like an animal!" He shouted.

"Leila's your sister?" She asked.

"She was until you corrupted her with your sweets and games." He said very bluntly.

"I was helping her. She was terrified to go home because of your father." She kept her voice calm and steady even though that was the opposite of how she was really feeling.

"You destroyed her relationship with us. You destroyed my family!" He stood and moved his body as far as he could until their faces were mere inches apart. She felt Killian move behind her and the ASF soldiers moved to put him back in his chair. They shoved his shoulders back and sat him in the chair. She looked him dead in the eye when she spoke next.

"I am not afraid of you." She said, emphasising every word, attempting to get the message through to him but he lowered his head until she could only see the top of his head. "And neither is Leila, she knows that she's safe." There was a long pause and she tensed slightly at the silence. He began to raise his head and when he looked at her again, there was a slight smirk on his face that made the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. His next words shook her to the very core.

"Not anymore."


	12. Chapter 12

She flung the door open and stepped out into the sweltering heat. Her heart was racing and her blood was boiling as Killian, Gold and Aziz followed her out of the container.

"We have to go to Kabul! We have to get Leila out of there. If Kazim knows where she is then…"

"Slow down, Swan. We know Kazim is headed that way but there is no way he can know where Leila is. No matter, we will send word to the team assigned to Leila and double the presence around the orphanage." Gold said, attempting to calm her down. "Now, go and get some rest whilst we figure out our next move." He said with a small smile.

"Yes, Sir." She said, sighing and turning to move back to the tent.

She must have zoned out because before she knew it, she was approaching their tent. Anger was still brewing inside her at the thought of Leila getting hurt. She shoved the flap out of the way, clearly alarming the rest of the section who were lounging around on their beds until she stormed in at which point all heads turned to her.

"Emma? What happened?" Neal asked, standing to block her path, a look of panic on his face.

"Don't worry, I can take a punch." She said bitterly.

"You serious?" Jeff asked.

"It's not a big deal, alright?" She said, shoving past Neal and collapsing on her bed.

"How'd it go then?" Rob called.

"He wasn't there. There were 3 guys in there, none of them were Kazim but one was his son, Leila's brother. He's the one that clobbered me and he blames me for his family falling apart and he said that Leila isn't safe anymore so all in all it was pretty shit." She blurted out at a ridiculous pace as the rest of her section just stared at her, mouths hanging open at her words. She sat up, rubbing her eyes with the ball of her palm and scrunching her face up, trying not to breakdown right in front of everyone. "Sorry." She said quietly.

"You've got nothing to apologise for Em. And listen, don't listen to what that piece of shit says. You saved that little girl and she is safe so you've got nothing to worry about." Rob said, walking over and sitting on her bed, placing his arm around her shoulders loosely. A small smile tugged at her lips and she couldn't help but feel comforted at his words. He had a way of doing that, even Jones had melted at his words once or twice.

"Thanks. Look, I think I'm just gonna take a walk, I'll see you guys in a bit." She said, standing and heading for the exit. Neal headed the same way and caught her up just outside the tent.

"Em?" He called. She turned and smiled when she saw him following her.

"Hey." She said in almost a whisper.

"Look, we'll get him. Kazim I mean. We'll get him and take him down and…" He stopped mid-sentence and placed his hands on her shoulders, moving his face a little closer to hers. "… He will never, ever hurt you. Not while I'm around." He spoke with such honesty that tears filled her eyes.

"Thanks Neal." She leant up and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "See you in a bit." She said, heading off towards her favourite thinking spot on base.

She walked for a while before she felt someone's presence behind her.

"Swan?" Jones was running to catch up with her though it didn't take much considering how slow she was going.

"Sir." She said quite curtly.

"Where are you going?" He asked, suspiciously.

"I just needed a walk." She said honestly.

"Look, none of this is your fault." He said.

"Yeah right." She snorted.

"You can't blame yourself. You did what you thought was right Emma…"

"Yeah I did!" She turned and shouted at him. "And what came of it? I ripped that family apart! If I hadn't stuck my nose in Leila would still be with that bastard and their Father and she would still be suffering! So why the hell do I feel so guilty? Because every time I close my eyes I see her face with that bomb strapped to her only this time she doesn't get away. I mean for god sake if I hadn't come out here, Sahau would still be alive right now!" She screamed in his face and didn't even care.

"Come here." He gestured towards one of the small offices. She followed reluctantly and climbed in when he opened the door for her. She looked around the small space, noticing the small desk covered in paperwork. He closed the door and leant his gun up against the cupboard, briskly moving towards her, crossing his arms in-front of his chest.

"If Kazim wanted Leila dead, she already would be. The son's bluffing to rattle you, take your focus off the mission at hand because you're worrying about Leila." He said sternly.

"That kid just looked me in the eye and told me that it's all my fault." She said.

"Well now I'm looking you in the eye and telling you it isn't." He said, standing directly in front of her.

"It is. I'm a 'Class A' screw up." She said, bordering on a break-down.

"A few weeks ago I would have agreed. But you've made me engage my brain. You've opened my eyes to so much. I have learned more since knowing you than 4 tours ever have."

"I don't think so." She said sarcastically.

"Well I happen to know so. When I first saw you I thought you would hold the platoon back. One of those bad apples that ruins the rest."

"Well, maybe you were right." She said harshly.

"No, I wasn't. You made me realise that we have to fix the small things so that the whole, huge Afghanistan can work."

"But I haven't fixed anything, I've broken it." She said, the tears beginning to gather in the corner of her eye.

"No you haven't, you were right all along. We do need to get involved. We need to give that little girl a life. The only way we're going to fix the big things is by fixing the small, you taught me that."

"Really?" She felt overwhelmed. He nodded, his mouth hanging open loosely, his brows furrowing.

"You should be proud of the person you've become. I know I am." He said honestly but still in his Captain's voice. Jones was still talking, Killian hadn't made an appearance just yet.

"Thank-you, boss." She said quietly.

"I'm not always going to be your boss. Not when we get home." He had relaxed a little now and she thought that just maybe Killian was about to make an appearance.

"We?" She asked, confused and elated at the same time. Then, he scratched behind his ear, a nervous trait she had noticed in him. He unfolded his arms and put his hands in his pockets. He looked down at the ground for a second and when he looked up again he had a smile plastered on his face.

"Have you ever been to Dublin?"

"No, but it sounds a bit shit." She said gently. He laughed and that put a smile on her face too.

"Nah, it's perfect."

"Ah well, I don't do perfect. Not sure it exists really." She sat down on one of the two small chairs that stood against the wall, separated by a coffee table. He laughed again and sat down on the edge of the coffee table so he could be closer to her.

"There's a house there, my parent's house. Where I grew up." He said with a sense of pride that she admired.

"I don't like those old houses with big staircases that people fall down." She said, remembering a time from her childhood when her Dad had fallen down the stairs and they were convinced he wouldn't make it.

"It's truly beautiful, especially at Christmas." He said in a tone of admiration.

"You inviting me for Christmas, boss?" She asked, jokingly. He turned his head slowly and he had that look in his eye that told her he wasn't kidding. "Oh." She said a little more breathy than she had intended. Suddenly, the air around her felt dangerously thick. He stared at her for a few more seconds before slowly moving towards her, intertwining their fingers. She stared at their joined hands. It was a simple gesture but she knew that they were both pouring everything they wanted to say into that one small moment. She was pulled back to reality by a harsh knock at the door.

"Sir?"

_Shit. _She thought, if Neal caught her in here they were both screwed. He stood briskly, pulling his hand from hers as he spun around frantically.

"Urmm." He turned to the wardrobe and gestured for her to go inside. She simply nodded and stepped inside, making sure she had left no trace of her presence. It was dark in the cupboard but the small gap between the doors gave her enough of a visual.

"Come in Cassidy!" He shouted. She heard the door swing open and shut again.

"Sir?" He sounded nervous, she just didn't know why.

"Everything alright?" Killian asked, he stood with his arms crossed, leaning back against his desk, he was good at acting casual when the situation was anything but.

"I wanted to ask you something, Sir. If you don't mind?"

"Course not, what is it?" Neal stepped into her sightline where she could now see both men. He dug in his pocket before pulling out a small object that she couldn't quite see properly. Then, he moved it between his thumb and index finger and held it out to Jones. A ring. A silver ring with a diamond at the centre of it. "Well, I'm flattered Neal but you're really not my type." Killian said jokingly. Neal snorted but not as much as normal. She could see his hand shaking slightly.

"No, Sir. It's… I want to give it to Emma." She felt like the breath had been pulled from her lungs, and she had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep her gasp from being heard. Her head was spinning. Neal wanted to marry her? She couldn't understand how he could think that they could marry when they barely knew eachother.

"Neal…" Killian's voice pulled her from her frantic thoughts. He had a stony look on his face and his voice was back to Captain Jones rather than Killian. "You need to put that ring away and we are going to act like this never happened." He said coldly.

"But, Sir…"

"Do you have any idea how many army rules you would be breaking?" Killian's voice was getting louder by the second.

"Isn't love more important than regulations?"

"Nothing is more important than army regulations Cassidy."

"But I…"

"Put the damn ring away!" Killian shouted. Neal stepped back sharply, clearly shocked by his outburst. He put the ring slowly back in his pocket and turned towards the door. His face looked like he had just been repeatedly punched in the stomach, he looked totally wrecked. She was about to let out a small sigh when Neal spoke.

"Sorry Sir. I just wanted some advice. I thought you were the best person to ask, I mean how did you propose to your wife?"


	13. Chapter 13

She froze. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt like she wanted to throw up all at the same time.

_He couldn't be… He isn't. There's no way. _

"Mission briefing at 20:00 hours, now go." Killian said coldly. She stood in the cupboard until she heard the door close then waited a few more seconds before flinging the cupboard open and storming out, throwing the door shut behind her. The heat of the Afghanistan air made her intense anger even more so.

"This is exactly why I said wait out." He spoke from behind her.

"You're pissed at me, how the hell does that work?" She said a little too loudly.

"I'm saying the same thing that I said to Neal. Look, we're here to work Swan." She swung around to face him.

"You're married and you didn't think to say?" She spat out.

"We split up! Separated. I've come on tour so that she can sort things out."

"You're married! What did that just slip your mind?"

"Did you not hear what I just said?"

"You lied to me." She said coldly, barely containing the rage within her.

"Not once."

"Well you were very bloody economical with the truth! What are you going to tell me next, that you've got kids?!" She shouted. His mouth dropped open, hanging in place for a few second before he looked away and then to the ground. She didn't think her heart could break anymore, but in that moment it did.

"Oh shit, he has." She said before turning and walking away, tilting her head up to the sky, trying to prevent the tears from giving her away.

This time he didn't follow her. She made her way back to the tent, where she placed her gun against the bed and sat down. Her section were all out so she let the tears flow freely. She held her head in her hands as she cried. After a while, the tears dried up slightly. She raised her head and stared out of the small windows in the tent. The sun was just setting and the sky glowed with oranges and yellows. She heard someone approaching the tent and the unmistakeable sound of the tent flap moving aside.

"Em?" Neal's voice was gentle. "Briefing at 20:00 hours. It's happening."

"Okay." She said as strongly as she could.

"You alright?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, I'm just being quiet that's all." She said, her voice breaking slightly, hopefully going unnoticed by Neal.

"You sure? I can get you a pizza or something?" He asked. Then the tears started flowing again. She rubber her eyes with the palms of her hands and she felt Neal sit down next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his chest. "Hey, don't worry. Okay?"

"What am I not supposed to worry about Neal?"

"The mission. Nothing and no-one is going to hurt you, okay? Ever." He said softly. She cried even more, realising how much he really cared about her. She pushed away slightly and snorted through her tears.

"What am I like?" She laughed, wiping her cheeks.

"Don't worry about it." He said, reassuringly.

"I'm sorry that I'm such an idiot half the time." She said.

"You and me both, eh? You know sometimes things can just creep up on you."

"Thank-you Neal. I couldn't have gotten through this tour without you." She said honestly.

"We help eachother through. That's the point." Sensing that this was getting a little too intense for her liking she lightened the conversation slightly, making her intentions clear in the process.

"You're a real friend." His face fell slightly, but he still gave her a small smile.

"Em, I'm going to give you something now and maybe it doesn't mean as much as I'd like it too…"

"Please, Neal, not now." She could tell where this was going and she didn't think she could handle it right now.

"I know what your answer will be so I'm just giving it to you now, no strings attached, while I've got the chance. Might not get the opportunity again, you know 'cause things happen and that, you know on the mission." His words were all disjointed as he reached into his pocket. The ring was even more stunning close up. The central diamond was surrounded by smaller more subtle ones. Her mouth dropped open and another tear escaped down her cheek. "It's my Mum's ring but I want you to have it. You're my best mate Ems and it so doesn't suit me." He laughed at the same time as her.

"This is so sweet Neal." She said taking the ring from him.

"Am I?" He asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Sometimes."

"You'll look after it yeah?" He asked gently.

"Well if it doesn't suit you then I can look after it until you want it back."

"You've looked after me. So I'm going to look after you now, until we get you home. That Kazim isn't getting anywhere near you. I promise." She pulled him towards her gently in a hug and they stayed that way until she got cramp in her arm and they laughed about her lack of feeling in her arm. This was what she loved about Neal. He could take her mind off of anything… Except Killian.

They all sat on the benches in the ops tent awaiting Gold, Killian, Humbert and the ASF. They were in the middle of a conversation about hot dogs when they approached the tent. They immediately fell silent at the seriousness of their faces. She could feel his eyes on her as soon as he entered but she kept her eyes focussed on Gold.

"Sit up!" Humbert shouted, they all straightened their backs and stared straight ahead.

"Relax." Gold said simply. "The insurgent known to us as Kazim is on his way to Kabul with a cash of explosives. Our objective is to identify and apprehend him before he causes significant loss of life. Kazim is currently in the mountain region in order to reach Kabul he needs to cross a river where there is an existing ASF check point. The truck he is believed to be travelling in is already on the road. ASF will stop it so as not to arouse suspicion. The only person who can positively ID Kazim is Private Swan. But, any sign of UK forces and it could alert spotters who will warn Kazim. So, it is imperative that this remains a covert operation." Gold's words had her shaking already. She saw Killian move out of the corner of her eye. He stepped towards the whiteboard where the mission plan was already laid out.

"At 02:00, 5th Section will board a helicopter to a landing sight 3km from the checkpoint so as not to attract attention. From there we will travel through an irrigation ditch which leads to a compound 50 metres from the checkpoint. An ASF officer will make contact with us when we reach the compound. When the truck arrives, the ASF will go through the usual checks then they will call for Private Swan to identify Kazim. Once we have apprehended him, we will call for extraction. This mission will determine how successful our time in Afghanistan has been. If Kazim gets away, lives will be lost. One life is one too many." He looked directly at Emma when he said the last words. "Any questions?" He addressed the whole group.

"No Sir!" The section responded. Gold nodded.

"Let's go get him."

The section return to their tent so they can prepare to leave. They kit up with everything they will require. Emma takes a spare shoe lace from her bag and threads it through Neal's ring. Tying it around her neck and hiding it inside her jumper. They make their way out into the darkness where they meet Jones by the chopper. They all climb on board, Killian sitting directly opposite Emma. He tries to catch her eye but she just looks away and looks at Neal on the other end of her bench, he smiles and winks at her. The ride takes around 20 minutes then they begin their descent onto the ground. They all jump down from the chopper and head in single file to the ditch, Jones makes sure they are all in before he watches the chopper fly away and then follows the rest of the section. They kneel in a circle, where Jones joins them on the ground.

"Right, Cassidy centre on the ditch, eyes forward. Everyone else focus up. Keep a couple of metres between you and the person in front of you. Let's go." They slowly stand and Neal heads straight to the front of the line. The others gradually follow, Emma and Killian are still on the ground when he speaks. "You can hate me if it helps. But I'm getting you home in one piece." Then, he stands and calls for the rest of the section to follow. She stands and follows him. She is now between him and Rob as they walk. Suddenly, there's a loud bang behind them and they all immediately move to the side of the ditch and onto the floor so they are as covered as they can be.

"What the hell was that?" Graham says into the radio. There are multiple responses but all she can focus on is trying to breathe and his face as he looks at her with fear in his eyes.

"Everyone stay down!" He shouts into the radio. He looks around and then stands, moving swiftly up and down the line ensuring everyone is alright. He moves to the front of the line. Then, there's a drop on her cheek, then another and another.

"It's thunder…" She whispers. "It's bloody thunder!" She says louder so they can all hear. Just then, it goes off again with lightning this time and the rain comes down heavier. They all laugh and stand up again.

"Rain in Afghan!" Jeff shouts from the back. She is smiling when she turns back around and sees Killian watching her with a look of relief on his face as he looks ahead and calls everyone back to the mission at hand.

"Right everyone focus up!" He shouts.

They arrive at the bunker just as dawn breaks but the sun hasn't yet risen. The sky is a dusky blue and the scenery in the mountains is stunning. She smiles as she takes a moment to appreciate the little things. Then, Neal climbs up and takes a vantage point at the top of the ditch. He scans the area through his scope, everywhere but his head covered by the wall of the ditch.

"Okay guys, secure the compound. Cassidy and Hood lead on." They follow Neal and Rob to the bunker, they check it out then call the rest of the section in when it has been cleared. "Cassidy and Rob I want you at those windows on guard duty, then Humbert and Jeff then Dave and Jup. Swan set up a temporary med centre. Everyone else, get this place squared away. Looks like we might be here a while." She walks into a small room just off the main area where she finds a ledge that was obviously used for a bed at some point. She covers it with her sleeping bag and empties her bag of all the other pieces of equipment including a drip, bandages and a needle and thread. She then looks around the small space and leans up against the ledge. Her head is hanging from both exhaustion and the fear that she might actually have to use some of this stuff. Suddenly there's shouting from the main room, she heads out with her gun to find all of them by one of the windows. There is a man walking towards the bunker. In the dawn light it was difficult to make out what he was wearing but she soon recognised it to be the ASF uniform. The man speaks in Pashto and points to the patch on his arm reading ASF.

"Relax guys, it's our ASF contact." They all visibly relax as the man enters the room. "Captain Jones, this is 5th section."

"I am Habib. You like football?" The man is clearly awkward and doesn't know what to say. "Manchester United?" He asks again.

"Nah, Liverpool mate." Jeff replies but Jones gives him a glare that soon shuts him up.

"My commanding officers will radio me when the truck approaches."

"So what now then Boss man?" Dave asks from the background.

"We wait out." He says simply.


	14. Chapter 14

The sun has risen by the time anything else happens. She is sat in the med room, staring blindly into space when the door cracks open.

"Alright?" He walks in just as she is twiddling the ring around the shoe lace it hangs on. He smiles when he sees it but she doesn't comment on it.

"Should I be?" She asks jokingly.

"It's gonna be alright Em. We're gonna get Kazim and take him back to Bastion so he can do his time."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself." She said.

"I just know everything's going to be alright. Perfect in fact, you're wearing my Mum's ring and we're going home."

"Calm down, its round my neck not on my finger." He looks hurt but then lightens up again.

"Well, we'll see about that won't we?" He says cockily.

"Neal, go back to Newport. Find someone who deserves you." She says softly, he just smiles that smile that makes her stomach flip. Then, Killian appears at the door and he shuts up as Emma lifts her collar to hide the ring and stands with her back to both of them.

"Alright Swan? This is all looking ship shape."

"Packed most of it in the med bag, Sir. Just in case." If Neal notices anything he doesn't mention it, then Killian tilts his head towards the door at Neal, suggesting that he leave.

"Sir." He says, grudgingly before she hears his footsteps and the creak of the tattered metal door as it shuts. He starts talking to her again but it's still in his Captain voice. He's talking about tactics for the mission but she chooses to give him the silent treatment rather than scream in his face like she's dying to do when there's only a door between them and the rest of the section.

"You okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She asks sarcastically. There's a long pause before he speaks again.

"I have a son. He's part of my life. Of course I wanted to tell you but the right moment never came up."

She almost lets out a whimper but holds it in. "You really hurt me."

"Emma, I care about you. A lot."

"Well you sure have a weird way of showing it. You screwed up Jones." The raise of his eyebrow gives her the hint. "Sir." She adds. He steps towards her, caging her in against the ledge.

"In that ditch, when the thunder…" She cuts him off before he could continue.

"Frightened the life out of me."

"Exactly. A lot of things flashed through my mind. I thought it was the end."

"So did I." She doesn't look at him, staring out of the window instead.

"I turned… and looked at you." She turns her head back to face him. "You're all I wanted." He was going back to Killian again and she felt more at ease. "I want you to be the last thing I see." He says in a whispered, breathy voice. Her mind couldn't quite process what he was saying so she says the first thing she can think of that would mean something.

"Ditto." She whispers back. His eyes lock with hers and then suddenly he is leaning into her, wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her against him before he presses his lips to hers in a simple chaste kiss that left her reeling and craving more. She couldn't take it anymore. Ensuring he would be quiet so that the others didn't hear, she presses her lips back onto his with more desperation than the last one. He reciprocates her passion quickly after the initial shock has passed. They pull away from eachother just enough so that their foreheads still touch. They both smile, only to be swiftly interrupted.

"Boss! Target's on the way!" Graham shouts.

"Never a dull moment." Killian smiles a sad smile which she returns and he turns to the door.

"They will stop the truck, we await instructions." Habib says, coming off his radio.

"Right everyone prepare, kit up!" Killian shouts. Emma emerges moments later fully kitted up with a look of serious determination on her face. He turns to look at her.

"I'm ready, boss." She says simply. Killian nods, she then looks at Neal who suddenly looks terrified.

"Hey, we're going to be fine. What happened to Mr Positive?" She asks, approaching him.

"Nothing. I'm just worried about you Em." He says honestly.

"Got eyes on the truck sir!" Dave shouts from the furthest window. "It's approaching the first checkpoint." He says. They watch as the truck is stopped and the ASF soldier inspecting the back gives a thumbs up and the barrier is lifted. "Sir, they're letting it through!" Habib is immediately on the radio speaking to the soldiers on the bridge.

"We're going to lose him!" Rob says as the truck crosses the bridge. Then, Habib raises his voice and seconds later the second barrier is lowered. After breathing a sigh of relief, Dave informs the others that it's been stopped.

"Right guys, listen in. We're together and we're in one piece. That is how we are going to leave after we have identified Kazim. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sir!" They all say clearly.

"I am proud to serve alongside each and every-one of you. Rob lead out." He says before moving to the door. He turns to Emma once more before making his way out of the bunker, the others following with Emma in the middle of the group, as protected as she could physically be.

_This is it. _Is all she thinks as they move to the bridge.

Her heart rate quickens as they walk apprehensively toward the bridge. Neal is behind her and she can feel him moving closer with every step. Normally she would tell him to back off but right now she is focused on one thing and one thing only. The truck waiting at the other end of the bridge. As they approach, the ASF nod to all of them and they nod back.

"Right of the bridge, boss." Rob says over comms. Killian turns his head and watches a man stood on the river bank who is clearly staring at them.

"Positions." Killian replies simply. The section split to either side of the bridge as far as they can then the rest position themselves on the bridge itself, guns pointed at the truck. "Cassidy do not take your eyes off that man." He continues. Neal stops and turns to face the man on the river bank. She continues up the bridge with Killian in front of her and Dave and Jeff behind her. They approach the van and Killian stops at the rear of the truck, she approaches in the same way and they both show the Pashto sign of respect before she begins looking around at the passengers including men, women and children.

"Movement on the ridge, Sir." Graham's voice comes over the comms. Jones crouches and looks around the truck to the top of the ridge. "At least 3 bodies. Unidentified item in cargo, could be a weapon. Eyes on, boys."

Emma's heart is racing in her chest. She is still staring at the people in the back of the truck. He was in there somewhere. He had to be.

"Swan?" Killian's voice interrupts her thoughts. "Anything?" He asks, desperately. She simply shakes her head and continues searching for anything out of the ordinary. But she sees nothing. With a deflating feeling she turns to him and shakes her head, recognising none of the passengers as Kazim.

"No, Sir." She remembers the men on the ridge and a small glimmer of hope rises in her. Killian waves the ASF soldiers to let the truck go. They move to the safe point next to the bridge so they are not in the open and vulnerable to gun fire. She is about to duck behind the sand bags when a shot rings out and a terrible pain goes up her leg, she screams out and her leg gives way.

"Swan's hit!" Comes Neal's voice over the radio and then he's standing over her grabbing her legs and another pair of hands wrap under her shoulders and lift her. They lie her back on the ground, safely behind the sandbags and Killian's face comes into view. She screams again as someone starts putting pressure on the bullet wound in her leg as it gushes blood. Gunfire is all she can hear, from both them and the men on the ridge by the amount of bullets being fired. She can hear Dave close by ordering a medical evacuation chopper. She tries to protest but her voice won't come. She won't let the mission down because of one tiny bullet in her leg. Suddenly, the gun fire stops and she hears running footsteps on the ground approaching their position.

"They're down, Sir." Rob says as the men gather around Emma and some place their guns on the sandbags to keep an eye out for more insurgents. The pain in her leg starts to numb as she begins to lose focus and lets her head fall back on the ground.

"She's losing too much blood, Sir!" Someone says, she can't focus enough to figure out who.

"Med-evac is 2 minutes out, Sir."

"Keep putting pressure on the wound, Cassidy." Her eyes start getting heavy as she feels someone lift her into their arms and she starts to fade in and out.

"Stay with me, Swan." Is the last thing she hears before the darkness pulls her under.


End file.
